WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE (WDFW ...

Challenges
Region 6 - Montesano
Sanitary Shellfi sh Enforcement: Fish and Wildlife Offi cers in
Region Six play an important role protecting public safety and
health by patrolling areas in the Puget Sound where harvest is
prohibited due to pollution. Offi cers work all hours of the day and
night, depending on the tide, patrolling these polluted beaches,
conducting surveillance and doing investigations to apprehend and
prosecute these ruthless violators who care more about a quick
dollar than the harm they pose to innocent consumers.
Big Game Confl icts: Issues exist with crop damage to
Christmas trees, cranberries, hay and pasturelands, as well as
traditional agricultural crops. Opposing views where agricultural
land is intermixed with urban sprawl often complicates the damage
issues.
ESA Salmon Protection: During the summer and fall months,
Region Six Fish and Wildlife Offi cers are prioritizing their
activities in order to maintain a focus on protecting several runs of
ESA-listed Summer Chum and Chinook Salmon making their
way through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Hood Canal, and Puget
Sound to return to their spawning grounds in Region Six rivers
and streams.
Signifi cant Cases
All Night Surveillance Pays Off for Offi cers: Offi cers apprehended two cedar thieves in Naselle where a
high-risk stop was initiated and the suspects, a couple from Grays River, were arrested. Methamphetamine,
paraphernalia, and a load of illegal cedar were taken as evidence. Both were booked into jail and the male subject
provided a good statement. Offi cers conducted follow-up on 20 illegal loads of cedar transported to a mill in
Oregon.
Suspect Failed to Cover His Tracks!: State Patrol dispatched Offi cer Klein to a call where an individual
found a recently-killed deer in his yard. The reporting party reported that the deer had been shot with an arrow
and the blood trail led to his neighbor’s yard. Offi cer Klein contacted the neighbor who admitted to killing
the fawn earlier in the evening. Offi cer Klein obtained consent to search and seized the deer and a compound
bow from the suspect. The suspect was cited for hunting closed season, fail to tag, unlawful transportation, and
trespassing.
WDFW Offi cers Assist Assaulted Trooper and Engage in Foot Pursuit: Offi cers responded to assist a
Trooper who had been assaulted after a confrontation with a subject stopped for traveling over 100 miles per hour
on State Route 12. They assisted in the canine track of a second subject who ran from a WDFW Offi cer when he
responded to a report of a suspicious person at the Department of Transportation fuel pumps near the location of
the original stop. The offi cer later identifi ed the subject from a photo and will be assisting with follow-up. The
suspects had numerous felony warrants, switched plates on the Jeep, and burglary evidence in the Jeep.
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE •ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM•
27 of 34 2007 Annual Report